A Templar's Love
by Jenna.S19
Summary: Natasha, a demon hunter, devoted her life to the cause - killing demons and any other evil she can get her hands on, but what happens when her longing for revenge is no longer the most important thing to her? What happens when she finds herself opening up to and perhaps even falling for someone? Rated: M for later chapters [Demon Hunter, Kormac], Lyndon, Eirena
1. Chapter 1

**_DISCLAIMER: For all Chapters, I do not own Diablo _**

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><p><strong><em>"It has been said that in the end of all things, we would find a new beginning. But as the shadow once again crawls across our world and the stench of terror drifts on a bitter wind, people pray for strength and guidance. They should pray for the mercy of a swift death... for I've seen what the Darkness hides."<em>**

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><p>The Demon Hunter walked slowly, her heels clicking softly against the stone path. It had been months since the events in New Tristram, Natasha was now traveling with the Templar, Kormac, and regretfully, the Scoundrel, Lyndon, he was a good enough fighter, but his late night activities had filled their trip with the sound of weeping women when they found out that Lyndon was, in fact, not planning on staying and getting married as they had thought, and the occasional angry outburst as they threw something of value at him, which Natasha and Kormac frequently had to reimburse them for. The regular loss of money made upgrading their worn equipment rather hard.<p>

Natasha sighed inwardly, looking down at her ragged scarf, and simple coverings. Her armor had broken on their last adventure into an unknown cavern, and with the insufficient funds, she had yet to replace them. They gained money helping others, and a few coins looted here and there, but armor wasn't cheap.

Kormac felt a small twinge of guilt as he saw Natasha shiver, their most recent purchase had been a new set of armor for him and the money that could have been used to buy her new armor was spent on Lyndon's latest achievement, when he not so stealthily broke a rare vase on the way out of the merchant's daughter's room.

He scowled at Lyndon when he started whistling a merry tune, blissfully unaware of what his venture was putting Natasha through. Not that she would ever complain, she had shrugged it off when Kormac mentioned it earlier, muttering words along the lines of "there's more important things to do", "the cold should be the least of our worries" and "at least we bought your new armor before this happened". She had given over everything they could afford to give while still being able to buy enough food for their trip to the next town.

Kormac coughed loudly, hoping to clue Lyndon to shut up, but it didn't seem to phase him. Instead he let his pace slow so she was far enough in front of them to not notice him shove Lyndon.

"Stop it, you idiot. This is your fault," he said, gesturing to Natasha.

"No. Why should I let your foul mood spoil mine?" Lyndon said, before continuing to whistle.

"Oh for goodness sake, look at her, shes barely covered and its cold enough to snow! I hope last night was worth the price."

Lyndon shrugged, "I don't hear her complaining."

Kormac punched him before walking back to Natasha's side. She had a little smirk on her face, "I can't imagine why _you_ of all people would want to talk to Lyndon. I thought you had plans to ignore him throughout all of our travels." She knew what they had spoken of, Kormac was sweet but not at all as quiet as he imagined. He was concerned about her and she hated to admit it but she enjoyed it, being a demon hunter, she never really had friends, after what happened to her family she was filled only with hatred and a longing for revenge. She found her frozen demeanor thawed slightly since she had met Leah, Cain and Kormac. Leah had reminded her of her sister, she had a sweet innocence about her, they way she talked of helping and how she never gave up on her Uncle. Natasha was glad she came along when she did. Though the pain of seeing Leah lose her Uncle had put a stop to that thawing. Natasha had made a silent vow to make sure that Leah did not follow in her footsteps, she wished her only to remember her Uncle in happy memories and not think of revenge; Natasha would do that for her.

Kormac kept his gaze focused on Natasha, she had spoken first but now it seemed that her mind was elsewhere. He took this moment to really look at her, it wasn't often that he found her lost in thought. Natasha had long dark raven hair, though she seemed to care for nothing other than fighting evil, she took great care for her hair. He had noticed that no matter how tired she was when they set up camp, before she slept she would carefully brush her hair. Her lips were full, a deep rosy color, and her eyes, oh how he loved her eyes, they were a dark deep blue, like the ocean as the waves crashed about during a storm. Kormac was lost in the beauty of her eyes, so much so that he didn't notice that they were staring at him.

"Kormac?"

Suddenly back in the present Kormac searched for an answer and settled with the truth, "A bad decision, yet it felt necessary. I attempted to convince Lyndon that he needed to find better . . . activities to partake in at night. Preferably less costly ones." Natasha smiled at his response, both amused at it and glad for the truth. It seemed the truth was something that was becoming harder and harder to find these days. She appreciated that Kormac was always truthful, but as much as Kormac was truthful, Lyndon seemed to make up for it by being just the opposite. Not to say that Lyndon was completely untrustworthy, he was in fact very trustworthy, as long as it wasn't your heart, or something of high value that he could sell.

The wind picked up and a rather strong gust blew towards them, making what little she had left of her favorite red scarf going flying off her neck and into the distance. Kormac watched her shoulders slump as the scarf traveled further and further in the wind, back towards the town they had left, making its retrieval a strong inconvenience. Natasha shivered violently as the wind continued, she had grown up in a place of warmth, it was rarely as cold as this and even when it was, the cold only lasted a few weeks, if that. Here it had already exceeded the amount of cold she was used to and it was only the beginning of winter. She clutched her bare arms and watched her feet as she walked, not wanting the wind in her eyes. Suddenly, as she was trudging on, trying her best to ignore the cold, the wind suddenly stopped. She looked up and realized it hadn't but Kormac was walking in front of her, his large muscular frame blocking her from the wind.

They continued this way until it was dark enough that Natasha would occasionally walk into Kormac, not seeing how close he was.

"We should make camp, it is too dark to see and too windy to keep a torch lit." Kormac said, still sheltering Natasha from the wind. They had stopped long enough for Lyndon to be within earshot, prompting him to give his opinion,"I agree, it is much too windy for my liking."

Kormac looked down at Natasha, waiting for her to answer. She didn't want to stop, but Kormac was right, and she didn't much like the thought of Lyndon complaining for the rest of the time.

"Fine," was all she said as she let Lyndon and Kormac guide the way to the best camp site.

It didn't take long before they found what looked to be an abandoned farm, they quickly set up in the barn and got a fire going. Lyndon always volunteered for first watch, knowing full well that meant he could sleep uninterrupted once Kormac or herself took over watch.

Kormac sat down beside Natasha, "You should sit closer to the fire, you're cold."

"I'm not-

"You are. I'm not arguing with you, either you chose to move closer or I will." Natasha stared at him defiantly before saying,. "and how are you planning t-eek!" Natasha squeaked as Kormac lifted her up and carried her closer to the fire. His warm body against her made Natasha realize just how cold she really was. She relaxed against him as her feet touched the ground, his arms lingering around her waist longer than they should.

When he finally pulled away she felt a cold emptiness sink in, refusing to think anything of it she whipped around and jokingly punched Kormac's arm, saying, "If you ever do anything like that again then I'll really hurt you." She crossed her arms and glared at him. His lips twitched, she could tell he was fighting a smile.

Natasha sat by the fire until it was her turn to take watch, Lyndon came in grumbling about the cold and soon fell into a deep sleep. She could hear him snoring from outside the barn and chuckled. A few hours later she heard the door to the barn creek open and Kormac stepped out. She gave him a questioning look, it was still hours before his turn to take watch.

"Couldn't sleep," he explained, "Lyndon really is a dreadfully loud snorer."

Natasha chuckled at that. He walked over and sat on the ground next to the stump she was leaning against. They sat, mostly in silence, until it was Kormac's turn to be the look out. She tried to stay out with him but had no such luck.

"Don't make me carry you again," he threatened.

"You wouldn't dare," she said, glaring up at him, they were both standing now and even with her heels on, he was good head taller than her. He stepped towards her and she hurriedly stepped back. They continued this until she felt the door of the barn against her back. He brought his hand up on either side of her and said, "I would." She matched his unyielding gaze, he leaned forward and she could feel her heart thumping in her chest. He was so close. . . too close. Natasha hurriedly ducked under his arm and opened the other door, slipping inside the barn.

Once closed she rested her back against the door and took a deep breath, before laying near the fire. Natasha rolled over and tried to think of anything but Kormac until her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: My first attempt at fanfiction, I would love any constructive criticism that any of you have to give. :) Always looking to improve, so please feel free to review. Also I would like to apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors there may be in this chapter or future chapters.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

_**"How tastes your fear, Nephalem?"**_

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><p><em>Natasha slowly opened her eyes, her head was throbbing and her entire body ached and she could feel a heavy weight on her legs. She took a deep breath in and choked on the smoke-filled air, her lungs burned and she tried to shift under the weight. She lifted her head, ignoring the dizzy feeling, there was a wooden beam. She tried to remember what happened. The fire. She looked around and saw her home in flames, the roof had collapsed on her. She pulled herself out from underneath it and stood. She could see the bodies of her family splayed out across the room. They were torn apart, there was blood everywhere. She could she her sisters body in the clutches of a shadowy black monster standing in the flames, it tore her apart and the blood splattered across Natasha. She looked down to see the blood of her sister on her and screamed.<em>

Natasha bolted up, her face wet with tears, body shaking. She tried to calm her breathing as she wiped away the tears. Just a dream, she told herself. She was grateful that Lyndon was still asleep and Kormac was still outside. She got up quickly and walked out to stand beside Kormac.

As she opened the door she could see him sitting on top of the stump, his weapon upon the ground beside him. Natasha took this opportunity to try to sneak up on him. She ran towards him and attempted to tackle him to the ground. It did not go as she had planned. Kormac flipped her, using her momentum against her. He had her pinned to the ground, their bodies firmly pressed against one another, and his hands holding her wrists to the ground. It had become a sort of game between the two, always checking to make sure the other had their guard up.

He had a passionate look in his eyes, whether that was adrenaline from taking her down or something else, she didn't know.

"Good morning," she breathed. She could see the look in his eyes soften.

"Morning," he said just before pulling her up off the ground with him. Natasha looked away and back towards the barn. The door was opening and Lyndon was walking out, he had already packed up all his things. Natasha looked back up at Kormac and said, "Well I guess its time to go then." Kormac shrugged and they both walked back to the barn to pack up.

They continued their journey for two more days before they reached the next town. Natasha was relieved to see the town, she was tired of this wretched cold and couldn't wait for the warmth of a well cooked meal and the soft delight of sleeping in an actual bed.

Kormac smiled as he saw Natasha unconsciously speed up as soon as she could see the town. As they entered the town she practically ran to the inn, he could almost see her mood fade as the mayor of the town approached them. She knew what would happen next, the mayor needed their help and she would give it, even though all she wanted was a good night's rest. He commented on how they looked like just the right people for the job. They always did, she mused. She waited patiently for him to explain the situation, and of course they would be paid for their services.

Apparently they had a spider problem. The trio made their way to the outskirts of the town, there was a cave atop the hill that had become infested with giant spiders, that would make their way into town at night. They had to enforce a curfew but still the spiders managed to take the mayor's daughter the night before.

Kormac lead the way slashing through the spiderwebs. Natasha didn't even want to know what she was stepping in as it squished beneath her feet. She wasn't particularly fond of spiders after her last encounter with them in Wortham and took pleasure in filling them with her arrows. They found the girl at the end of the cavern, cocooned in a spider's web. Lyndon was all too pleased to be the one to cut her down.

They thought they could make a clean escape until the were interrupted by the largest spider Natasha had ever seen. She dropped caltrops before she and Kormac backed up towards Lyndon.

"Cut faster, Lyndon, I don't like the thought of any of us becoming a meal for this beast," Kormac said.

"I'm cutting as fast as I can," he murmured.

Natasha ran towards it and slid underneath it until she was on the other side and immediately started firing her arrows. Kormac charged it to keep its attention away from Lyndon and Natasha. He hacked away at its legs, the massive spider responded by letting out a spine chilling screech.

By the time Lyndon finished cutting the girl free, Kormac and Natasha had the spider crumbling with only two legs intact. Kormac delivered the finishing blow by thrusting his spear in between the spider's extremely large pincers. The spider came crashing down on Kormac, it took the three of them to lift it up enough so that Kormac could escape, but not before Lyndon made a crack at him.

Natasha sighed as Lyndon charmed his way into the girl's heart on the walk back to her town, Natasha was sure he would convince her of the best way to thank him for heroically rescuing her, best way in his mind at least. Kormac fell into step beside her, "He'll never change will he?"

"Well, at least we won't have to pay for a room for him at the inn." Kormac retorted, earning him a little smile.

After returning to the town, they collected their rewards and went their separate ways. Lyndon was certainly going to chase after women, what Kormac always did when they went to town was a mystery to her, she just figured he went to the church and normally she would be right. This time, however, he had a very specific mission in mind, one that required a merchant.

Natasha hurried to the inn and paid for a room, she only had one thing that she wanted; a long hot bath. She washed the dirt from her body then had the tub filled to the top with hot water. As she slowly guided herself into the water she moaned in pleasure, it had been far too long since she had felt something so relaxing, far too long since she had been able to wash herself. The water poured over the edge as she submerged her entire body in the water.

When the water lost its heat she stood and dried off. Natasha walked to the bed and collapsed on it, not bothering to dress herself.

Natasha awoke feeling wonderful, compared to the hard ground the bed felt heavenly. She stretched and laid in bed staring out the window, the sun would come up soon. Natasha dressed quickly and opened the door and almost stepped on a package. She picked it up and walked back to the bed. When Natasha opened it she found a high-quality red scarf, almost exactly like her old one. On top of the scarf was a small card that read:

_For what you've lost._

_-K_

Natasha smiled, you wouldn't think that such a large, intimidating man would be so thoughtful. Kormac seemed to not only want to rid the world of evil, but also fix every problem he could along the way. Natasha wrapped the scarf around her neck and walked happily out of the Inn.

They had agreed to meet near the front of the town just after sunrise. While walking Natasha noticed Lyndon climbing out of a window, he dropped to the ground and sauntered up to her, a smug grin on his face.

When he reached her Natasha gave him a disapproving look. He only smiled and started whistling that merry tune, symbolizing a successful night.

Kormac was already waiting by the main gate of the town when he saw Lyndon and Natasha walking towards him. He smiled when he saw Natasha wearing the scarf. He wasn't sure if she would accept the gift but he knew she had loved that scarf. His gaze locked with hers and she smiled back at him.

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><p>Natasha looked up at the ship with unease, this was the last thing she wanted to do. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and looked back to see Kormac, he looked at her with sympathy. She wouldn't admit it but the only thing she hated more than spiders was sailing, but Tyrael needed them to travel east to Caldeum, and they didn't have the time to travel north, as she did when first making her way to New Tristram.<p>

They would sail across the twin seas, if Natasha could muster up the courage to get onto the ship. She took a hesitant step forward and walked onto the boat, feeling it rock beneath her feet she quickly turned around to leave and bumped into Kormac's chest. He gently turned her back around and urged her forward.

Natasha could feel him against her back making sure she didn't try to make another run for it.

The three of them had managed to save up enough money to get them passage across the sea, safe and comfortable passage, or so they were promised. Kormac guided her below deck and into her room. It seemed the nothing phased him, he acclimated to any place they went, any situation they were put in. Natasha fell forward onto bed and silently cursed her heels and the rocking of the ship. She could hear Kormac chuckling behind her.

"I suppose you think this is hilarious," she stated, glaring at him. His expression sobered a bit, but he still kept a small smile, "No one would guess that the fearsome Nephalem, a dangerous demon hunter, would have such a fear of sailing. Of all the things we've faced, I just imagined that nothing would phase you, it seems I'm collecting quite the list of things that unnerve you."

"Such as?"

"Sailing," he said taking a step towards her, "Spiders," he took another step, "and this!" Natasha yelped as he scooped her up into his arms. She squirmed about trying to escape his grasp. Kormac gently set her on her feet, laughing wholeheartedly.

"Didn't I say if you ever did that again I would-ack!"

The boat shifted and Natasha grabbed Kormac before falling backwards on the bed, bringing him down with her. She squeezed her eyes shut as they fell, Kormac watched her slowly open her eyes. Time seemed to pass infinitely slower as they gazed into the other's eyes. Natasha could see that same passionate look in his eyes. Kormac slowly leaned in, stopping mere centimeters from her lips, almost as if asking for permission. Natasha closed her eyes, her lips just barely opening.

Kormac jumped back and Natasha bolted upright as they heard a loud knock on the door just before it opened. Lyndon walked in, "There you two are," he had an unsatisfied look on his face, "did you know that there is not a single woman aboard this ship?"

"Other than you, of course," he added after glancing over to see Natasha's glare. Kormac smiled, looking pleased with himself.

"You!" Lyndon threw an accusatory look at Kormac, "You knew."

"Of course, it's not as if this is a ferry ride across the river. Wouldn't want to be thrown overboard because you slept with the wrong woman."

"A wrong woman...no such thing" Lyndon grumbled under his breath before storming out.

Kormac walked towards the door muttering something about getting food and quickly left after Lyndon. Natasha collapsed on the bed and hid her face in the pillow. "You idiot," she muttered to herself. For the rest of the trip she did her best to avoid spending any more time alone with Kormac.

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><p><strong>Please review, review, Review! I would love to know what you all are thinking about the story so far! :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**_"Your enemies are growing stronger, you need a warrior at your side."_**

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><p>Kormac moved swiftly out of Natasha's room and to his own before closing the door and pounding his fist against it. What was he doing? If Lyndon hadn't walked in he would have . . . he didn't want to think about what he would have done. No, he thought to himself, he did want to think about it and that worried him. He couldn't lie to himself, he was deeply attracted to Natasha, her long beautiful hair, her full lips, her gorgeous eyes, and her wonderfully curvy body, but it wasn't just that. She was a good person, she cared for people and had helped many people on their travels. He had never enjoyed just being with another person as he did with her. That attraction had only grown stronger as they grew closer throughout their travels, but he had taken vows as a templar. He would honor those vows, no matter how much self-control it took, and it would take a lot of self-control. He tossed himself on the bed, not bothering to undress before falling asleep.<p>

Kormac sighed to himself, she'd been avoiding him ever since what happened the first night of the trip. He sat alone in his room, the ship swaying in motion with the waves, he had brought this upon himself, but didn't realize how much he missed her companionship until then.

They barely said anything to one another and every time they were alone together she would practically run from the room. She spent more of her time talking to the crew, and even seemed to be talking to Lyndon more than to him.

All their time apart had given him ample time to continue translating the journal that he had taken from Jondar's body. He looked down at the journal in his hands and sighed, remember what she had told him back in New Tristram. "You do not seem the kind of person who was once as sinful as you claim, I wonder if there is any such 'sin' to be found." The thought of it had haunted him. He had taken to translating the journal to unlock any secrets from his past, as Jondar had. It was proving to be a lengthy task. **  
><strong>

Kormac stood and walked to the deck. He drew his sword, practicing the training he had learned in the order.

Then sun beat heavily down on the deck, their journey was nearing its end and the hot sun of the east was bearing down on him. It had been a long time since Kormac was in a place of such warmth. It didn't take long before Kormac was sweating, he pulled his shirt over his shoulders and tossed it aside before continuing.

Natasha walked up to the deck and stopped as soon as she saw Kormac. She knew he was a muscular man but hot damn, he looked good with his shirt off. She watched mesmerized by the way his muscles rippled as he swung the sword. Natasha could see the sweat drip down his skin and imagined what it would feel like to have his skin pressed against hers and hated how much she longed for his touch. He was the first man she had ever met who affected her this way. She met plenty of men in her travels but nothing had matter to her then, other than her revenge. It seemed that was slowly changing, now she wanted something more, much more.

Natasha could feel her cheeks flush as she made eye contact with Kormac. Could he tell what she had thought of?

Kormac tensed, he wasn't sure what to say but he didn't want her to leave. He watched to see what she would do. He was amazed at how well she dealt with the heat, even during the hottest part of the day she still wore the red scarf he had given her.

Natasha shared his gaze, watching as the heaving of his chest slowly became a more calm, steady rise and fall.

The wind blew and he watched as it danced through her hair, gently lifting the edge of the scarf off her shoulder. Kormac stepped closer to her, judging her reaction with each step. She didn't move an inch.

Natasha's heart hammered in her chest as he reached towards her, taking the scarf in his hand and placing it back over her shoulder. She mentally scolded herself for letting him have such an effect on her, she couldn't. She wanted him to touch her.

He gently ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it out of her face, it was softer than anything he had felt before. Kormac suddenly dropped his hand and racked his brain for something to say, anything.

"How are you feeling? I know the rocking of the boat makes you uneasy."

Almost as if to make his point the waves rocked the boat, making Natasha fall forward into his arms. He wanted to hold her there forever but she stepped back with a quickness that was nearly painful, almost as if she couldn't stand being near him. This made Kormac question what had happened the first night. He had thought that she wanted him to kiss her but the way she was acting now screamed the opposite.

Natasha saw the look in his eyes, almost sadness, as she moved away from him. How could he be sad? He had been the one to practically run away from her, and had made no attempt to be near her afterwards. She wanted nothing more than to stay there in her arms but she was stubborn and refused to be the one to try to mend the bridge that was slowly forming between them.

"I'm fine," she said and walked away.

Kormac watched her leave, he wanted so badly to go after her, but he couldn't trust himself. He tried to think of his vows . . . blasted vows.

He watched Natasha as she walked away quickly, bumping into Lyndon on her way to her room.

"In a hurry, dear?"

Natasha sighed inwardly, Lyndon was the last person she wanted to speak to about it. She slumped her shoulder when she realized the only two people she had to talk to were Kormac and Lyndon. In that moment she missed the time when she traveled alone, far less trouble when you only have to be content with yourself for company.

"Not at all."

Lyndon gave her a questioning look, "Oh? Then _still_ seasick?" Natasha found herself annoyed at his tone, Kormac and Lyndon seemed particularly fond of picking at her shortcomings. "Maybe I'm just sick of being in the company of you men!"

"Why, I'm positively wounded," he said smirking, "and here I absolutely _love_ your company."

Natasha rolled her eyes, knowing how utterly insincere his comment was and shoved him out of her way.

Lyndon continued on and turned to Kormac, "Don't suppose you know what's put her in a foul mood?"

"What, you aren't enough?" Kormac said before turning to continue taking his frustration out on the air. He heard Lyndon grumble before he, too, left in the opposite direction.

Kormac trained until his arms could hardly lift his blade, and there wasn't much light, other than the stars, to see it with. He walked to his room but stopped at Natasha's door, he wanted to clear the air before they reached Caldeum, she managed to avoid him well enough confined to a ship with him and he didn't want to imagine how little he would see her with a whole desert to escape to.

He knocked gently on the door.

After a few moments of silence he decided to test his luck and slowly opened the door. He found her laying in the bed, asleep. She tossed about and he felt pained watching her, even in her sleep she felt unrest. He was turning to leave when he heard her speak. "Halissa." It started out as a soft murmur and grew louder until Natasha screamed her name, tears streaming down her cheeks. Natasha reached out, rolling over the edge of the bed. Kormac dropped to the ground and caught her before she hit the floor. Natasha tossed about in his arms, not knowing what else to do he pulled her closer and rocked her in his arms, smoothing her hair down and whispering, "It's okay," over and over. Slowly she calmed in his arms and woke, her eyes slowly opened. In that moment she felt something that she had never felt in another's company; safe.

"Kormac," she said, her voice barely loud enough for him to hear. She clutched his shirt and sobbed into his chest. He waited patiently, just holding her until she finished. She lifted her head from his chest but didn't look at him. Natasha brushed her hand down his chest, where her tears had soaked his shirt, the feeling sent a shiver down his spine.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking into his eyes. He nodded and waited a moment before asking, "Who is Halissa?"

"My sister."

"Oh." Kormac pulled her into a tight embrace, happy that she didn't resist his touch, he lifted her up and placed her back in the bed, she smiled at him before he left.

"Wait," she called to him, "will you. . .stay? Just for a little while."

"Of course." He sat in a chair near her bed until she fell asleep again.

Kormac left, pulling the door closed and smiled to himself. He walked to his own room and almost as soon as his head hit the pillow he fell into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting the new chapter, its been a super busy week and this upcoming week will be just as busy. Finals *sigh* I hope the new chapter was worth the wait :) Review, review, review!**

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><p><em><strong>"Demons... Fire... More demons. I would have thought the Lord of Sin would be more creative."<strong>_

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><p><em>Kormac awoke to the sound of birds singing. Birds? Sunshine streamed in from the window. Where am I? He looked around and found himself laying in a large bed, it was the most comfortable bed he had ever been in. He looked around, the entire room was furnished with the most intricate and expensive things he had ever seen. He climbed from the bed and turned hearing the door open. Natasha? She wore a different outfit than usual, a dress. It had the same sort of black leather corset she would wear, but only covered from just below the bust to her hips. The rest of the dress was a dark blue color that matched her eyes. It covered her chest and wrapped around her arms, leaving her shoulders and a good portion of cleavage exposed. The silky blue cloth continued from the hips down, covering the top of her thighs but not much else.<em>

_Kormac shifted trying to keep his gaze focused on her eyes and nothing else. She walked up to him and kissed him, pressing her body against his. Kormac was stunned, his mind racing with all the reasons he should break away from her, but instead he wrapped his arms around her. _

_When she pulled back Kormac sucked a deep breath in, "What are you-_

_She pressed her lips against his again, this time he sprung to action, kissing her passionately. She moaned against his lips prompting him to pull her closer, she stepped back towards the bed pulling him with her. _

_Kormac lifted her into his arms and she responded by wrapping her legs around him tightly. They fell on the bed and Natasha moaned in delight, feeling his growing arousal underneath her. She reached under the edge of his shirt and tugged it up over his head. He moved one hand over her hips and the other to her cheek as he pulled her down to his lips and their tongues intertwined. He closed his eyes and a soft moan escaped his lips._

Kormac opened his eyes to the dull ceiling above him and shuttered. He was in need of a good dousing of extremely cold water.

Once freshly washed Kormac walked hesitantly to eat, he was worried he would see Natasha. Not that he didn't want to see her but their last encounter hadn't done anything to clear up things between them.

Natasha watched Kormac enter the room, she chewed her food slowly and eyed him to see what he would do. He looked conflicted but after a brief pause he picked up a plate of food and sat across from her.

"Did you sleep well?" Natasha asked, hoping to keep the conversation away from what he had found out about her.

Kormac gulped, remembering his dream.

"I slept fine," he said, with a tone harsher than he had meant. He took a deep breath trying to calm himself. "How are you feeling after-

"Fine." Natasha shifted uncomfortably, recalling how she had let down her guard in front of him and how he held her.

The tension didn't ease any throughout the rest of their morning, but at least they were talking.

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><p>Natasha leaned against the main mast and looked out into the distance, she loved the ocean, and had grown more comfortable with sailing. She rarely stumbled and had finally learned what everything was called and the difference between port and starboard.<p>

Natasha squinted her eyes and leaned forward, it looked like storm clouds ahead. It didn't take long before the storm clouds were right above them. She felt the water droplets fall and start to soak her hair and clothing, the rain didn't worry her, it was the violent rocking of the waves that felt ominous. Barely able to keep standing Natasha gripped the mast tightly. Lightning flashed, brightening the otherwise dark cloudy sky.

Natasha could hear the crew yelling but couldn't make out what exactly they were saying. She took a deep breath and stepped away from the mast, slowly making her way to the cabins.

Kormac stepped out of his room and saw Natasha clinging to the wall and chuckled to himself.

"What's going on?"

"Storm," she said cringing, nearly losing her balance.

"Do you need some help?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Natasha slowly looked from his hand and back up to him. He had an earnest look upon his face. She slowly lifted her hand and set it upon his. It was so small in comparison. Natasha was surprised at how warm and rough they were compared to hers.

The storm only grew stronger, unable to control the direction of the ship, it crashed about, the waves taking it where they willed. Natasha and Kormac were tossed across the room when the waves brought the ship crashing into the rocks that were hidden by the rainfall and darkness.

Natasha looked up and instantly felt bad, she had landed on Kormac. He was so very warm against her cold, wet clothing. Her mind drifted off to all the things she could do with him to warm herself. Startled by the sound of Kormac groaning she sat up, straddling him, and was glad that the ship had stopped moving, until she realized what that meant and she was up on her feet in an instant, Kormac following closely behind.

Kormac tried not to think of what she had felt like on top of him, it felt so good, so right. His mind drifted back to the dream and he smiled slightly until remembering his vows. He mentally scolded himself for thinking such thoughts and made a note to pray more.

Once out of the room she was met with water splashing under her feet and she heard Lyndon grumbling about water damage and new boots.

"Lovely weather we're having." Lyndon said, once he spotted Natasha and Kormac, "I was thinking a good stroll on deck was in order, care to join?"

The three of them made it out on deck in time for the waves to toss the ship in the other direction sending Natasha and Lyndon over the edge.

She could hear a series of curses shouted from Lyndon as he broke the surface of the water. From below Natasha could see the damage that the rocks had dealt to the ship and cursed the sea, the ship wouldn't make it to land, it was sinking. Natasha looked up to find a panicked Kormac looking down at her. She could hear Lyndon and Kormac calling her name and she struggled to stay above water. That was the last thing she saw before being carried away by the waves.

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><p><strong>AN: Its a shorter chapter, but hopefully still good. I have already started on the next chapter and if all goes well it will be ready before Thursday. Please continue reviewing, I'd love to know what you think, and am glad you guys are enjoying the story! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

_**"I have left everything behind… only hope guides me now."**_

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><p>Natasha awoke on a beach and groaned. Her mouth tasted of salt water and sand. They hadn't been far from their destination when the storm hit, leading Natasha to believe that she wasn't that far from Kurast, the city where they were scheduled to dock. Though still far enough for it to be a long journey ahead, especially since she had no sense of direction to go to find it. Natasha thought of Kormac and hoped that he, and the rest of the ship, had made it to the dock alright.<p>

She stood and brushed the sand from her clothes, taking a look around after. Just a little ways off she saw a figure and assumed it was Lyndon. He was still passed out and looked dreadful. She knelt down beside him and rolled him over onto his back, and checked to see if he was breathing.

She smacked his cheeks, "Lyndon… Lyndon!"

"Oh for goodness sake, stop smacking me, woman, I'm quite alright," he said briskly as he caught her hand just centimeters from his cheek.

"Good… then get up."

Lyndon groaned and then stood beside her. "Well, wonderful, we're in the middle of bloody nowhere!" Natasha sighed, "We can't be that far from Kurast."

"Oh... Can't we? And I suppose you know which direction to walk and do you happen to have food and water for us to survive upon stuffed in that voluptuous bosom of yours? No?...Then it seems we _can_ be _that _far."

Natasha kicked the sand and stormed off, away from Lyndon was as good a direction as any, and if she was lucky it would be the _right _direction.

Natasha looked back to see Lyndon stalking a ways behind her, close enough to be in earshot but far enough to escape her anger towards him. They continued this way for the next ten hours.

"How long do you plan on walking?" Lyndon called to Natasha.

"Until we reach Kurast. We've been walking for quite some time and I'm sure we'll see the docks soon." Natasha couldn't slow down.

They had no food or water and she was growing weary, if they did not make it to Kurast soon then they would surely not survive the night, if the heat of the day didn't kill them before then.

Natasha stopped suddenly, "Lyndon, don't move."

"What? Why?"

Natasha loaded her weapon and readied a dagger in her other hand. She could see the sand shift. There was a creature under the sand and it was circling her. She turned and could see Lyndon, his bow at the ready, and knew that he could see it too.

The creature burst through the sand and they fired. Natasha cursed when her bolts ricocheted off the tough armor of the spiked creature. An arrow pierced the armor and the creature cried out, swinging its mace like tail towards Natasha, knocking her off her feet while tearing through the cloth covering her stomach, leaving deep gashes across her skin. Natasha struggled to stand up, feeling Lyndon's arm wrap around her, she leaned on him.

"I have a grenade but we're too close, it'll kill us along with the creature." She felt Lyndon tug her backwards, trying to get her away from the creature. She let him drag her away, watching the wounded creature screech. They were nearly far enough away when two more creatures leapt from the sand to aid their wounded comrade.

Natasha shoved Lyndon, "Go, leave me."

"No, I won't."

Natasha glared at him, "Don't be an idiot, go. NOW!"

Lyndon cursed out loud and ran back, leaving Natasha, barely standing. She watched, firing her arrows to make sure their attention stayed on her and not Lyndon. She grasped the potion in her hand, thankful that she had it there with her and chugged it down before throwing the cluster grenades.

"This is gonna hurt." She squeezed her eyes shut waiting for the impact of the blast. First she felt the heat and then the force, it knocked her back and she landed against the sand. All the air was taken from her lungs on impact. Natasha groaned against the ground, her wounds filling with sand. She managed to roll over on her back before Lyndon was there by her side. She smirked, he was covered in the guts of the creatures just as she was, "The whole blood and creature guts is a good look for you, not sure how much the ladies will love it."

Lyndon tried to smile but it didn't reach his eyes. How could it, looking down at her in the condition she was in?

"I'll have you know the ladies _always_ love me." Lyndon lifted her up into his arms and continued walking, hopefully, towards Kurast.

Hours past and Natasha struggled to stay conscious.

"Lyndon."

"Yes, dear? Not liking the silence, shall I whistle a merry tune?"

"You have to leave me."

"I won't lea-

"You don't have a choice, you'll never make it to Kurast while carrying me. You'll be too tired to get there. I will only hold you back. Go."

"Nonsense, I'll get help. You'll be fine, up and about. And you and Mr. Righteous Templar will be together and scolding me about my wicked ways in no time." Natasha knew he was trying to reassure her, but the look on his face seemed more like he was trying to convince himself of it, to make leaving her there easier. He placed her gently on the ground and she felt him place a soft kiss on her forehead before she watched him walk away.

It felt like forever, laying there in the heat. She was losing consciousness and groaned, struggling to keep her eyes open. Just for a moment, she told herself, I'll just rest my eyes for a moment. Her head fell back against the sand and she opened her eyes one last time. She saw Kormac above her. What is he doing here?

"Kormac?" she whispered, before her eyes shut. She heard someone call out her name before she fell into the darkness.

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><p>Kormac sighed, the ship had made it to Kurast, just barely. He had collected all of his, Natasha's and Lyndon's things, taking them ashore for safe keeping, not willing to imagine that the worst had happened to them. He bought a room at the Inn and left anything he didn't need there. Then he stocked up on potions, food, and water, lastly he used what little money he had left for a bottle of rum for Lyndon and candy for Natasha.<p>

Through their travels he had noticed her eyeing the candy at the stores and occasionally buying some when they had an excess of money. She loved chocolate, which he found quite endearing, seeing her staring longingly at the candy, as if she were just a little girl.

She was tough and didn't give out personal information freely so Kormac watched diligently for any soft spots in her seemingly impenetrable wall that she built to keep people out.

Kormac remembered the moment they shared on the ship and sighed, it was the first time she had ever opened up to him and he would be damned if it would be the last. He was off to find Lyndon and Natasha, to find them _alive_.

Kormac started walking to the south of Kurast, towards where he thought the waves would have brought them. When he reached the bridge out of the city he found that it was destroyed and swore, kicking a rock towards the edge but stopped in his tracks when he saw that it did not fall.

"Its an illusion."

Kormac swung around with his blade up, towards the voice. A woman. She had blonde hair and her clothes exposed her stomach, allowing him to see her pale skin. She looked unlike any woman he had ever seen.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Eirena, I can help you."

"How?" He studied her, she looked harmless enough but he had been out in the world long enough to know, nothing is ever as it seems. He looked towards her weapon, a staff, and guessed she was a magic user.

"I am an enchantress, I can dispel the magic that cast this illusion and any others that you encounter, should you wish to allow me to join you in your journeys," she smiled at him, awaiting his answer.

"I am looking for my companions, you may accompany me if you wish, but know this: our purpose is honorable but our path is dangerous. If you stay we will not be able to guarantee your safety."

She nodded and stepped forward, using her magic to show what truly lay in front of them; the bridge was fully intact. Though it looked sturdy enough, it had clearly been worn down throughout the years.

"May I know your name?"

"I am Kormac, the templar." He glanced towards her, "What brings you here?"

"I am in search of a hero; a nephalem. I will aid her in her quest and prevent the great disaster that my master foresaw." Kormac immediately thought of Natasha and remembered what Alaric had said at the drowned temple.

They continued on for hours, Kormac asked her of her origins and Eirena questioned him about his companions and the order of templars. He enjoyed the conversation, imagining how it would have felt traveling all this way alone. Kormac was in the middle of telling her about the journal he had found on Jondar's body when he saw someone out in the distance and ran towards them.

It was Lyndon, he looked completely exhausted and was covered in blood and what looked to be the remnants of something that he fought.

"Where is she?"

Lyndon collapsed at his feet and Kormac kneeled beside him, taking the water from his pack. Lyndon was badly burned by the sun, his lips were cracked and bloody, and his joints stiff from exhaustion, dried blood, and guts. He took the water and chugged it greedily, not caring that it poured out of his mouth and over his face.

"You have to… save her… she stopped them… but... bleeding out…" Lyndon collapsed on the ground; unconscious.

Eirena looked at Kormac with a worried expression, "Go, I'll tend to his wounds while you find her."

Kormac took off running in the direction that Lyndon had come from. He hoped that she was not far behind. Kormac's body ached from traveling all day but he didn't let it slow him down. Ignoring the pain he continued on in the hot sun of the blistering desert. From the little that Lyndon had said Kormac knew that she was injured and alone. It wasn't long before he found her crumpled on the ground.

Kormac ran to her, "Natasha!"

He heard her whisper his name before her eyes shut and didn't open again.

"Natasha! No… no no no no..." he lifted her up and carried her back towards Eirena and Lyndon, "Hold on, Natasha.. please, just hold on..." he whispered.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope this chapter was better, I tried to make it more detailed without being boring. Please continue to read and review. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: To** **mirajane-fan, Sorry if I made the character seem too weak, I tried to take what you said into account for this chapter and I hope you like it. For crazykatz411, thanks so much for your review, that encouraged me to work on getting this chapter posted sooner. For** **everyone, Thanks for the reviews, I'm always looking to make the story better, please continue to read and review :) **

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><p><strong><em>"He has intervened for the sake of humankind time and again, for he sees the potential for heroism and selflessness in each of us. He has even acted against the mandates of his fellow Council members to fight on our behalf. For that alone I always have and always will believe in him."<em>**

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><p>Natasha awoke, slowly lifting her eyelids. She was met with the wood beams of a ceiling, she turned her head, looking around, and saw Kormac. He was in a seat beside her sleeping, his body leaned towards her. She followed the length of his arm with her eyes and found his hand in hers. When she tried to move her hand away he squeezed her hand tighter and shifted in the chair. Kormac looked up at her, his eyes flashed with emotion; sadness and worry, then relief. Natasha let her gaze wash over his face and body, he had a tired, worn down look about him. His hair was in disarray and he no longer wore his armor. Instead he donned a cloth shirt, her mind flashed to him shirtless, that was untucked from his pants. Natasha noticed how tight the pants were and tried to keep her mind from wandering to places they ought not to be.<p>

"How are you feeling?"

Her eyes snapped back up to his at the sound of his voice, mentally shaking the thoughts from her mind.

"I'm…" Natasha shifted and sharp pain exploded through her body, "fine." She didn't dare move again after that. "How long has it been since you found me?"

"Only a day, but you must be hungry, and thirsty, surely." He rose from the chair, slowly releasing her hand from his grip. "I'll get you something to eat and drink." and with that he left the room.

Natasha looked around the room and wondered how long she had been laying in this bed. She pulled back the covers, only now realizing that she wasn't wearing any clothing. She jerked the covers back up over her body when she heard the door open again.

"Don't worry. Lyndon neither saw or touched you, nor I." Kormac said, carrying a bowl of steaming, delicious food and a mug of, what Natasha hoped was, cold water.

"Then who did help to heal me?" Natasha turned her gaze to the woman who entered the room after Kormac.

"I did." She lifted the clothing in her hands, "I brought these, they're similar to what you wore before, but in much better condition and better quality, I assure you. They may not look like much, as armor goes, but these have been imbued with magical properties. They were specially made for you." She smiled at Natasha. Everything about her seemed to be kind and inviting, Natasha watched her place the clothes on the other side of the bed she was in, "Who are you?"

"Eirena, she's an enchantress. She helped me find you and Lyndon, and she healed you both." Kormac said, answering for Eirena. Though, she didn't seem to mind, she simply smiled brightly at Kormac and Natasha.

"You should eat up, and rest." Eirena said as she and Kormac made their way to the door. Pausing to whisper to Kormac, he nodded and they left Natasha.

Natasha picked up the bowl and groaned at the pain it caused her. The warmth of the soup felt amazing against her throat, she gulped it down, the water following quickly. She sat in silence, her fingers smoothing down the blankets, gathering them up in her hand and then releasing them only to smoothing them down again. She felt uneasy sitting there idly, so she decided to test her body. She lifted both arms, moving them, no pain. Next she wiggled her toes and rotated her ankles, still no pain. Natasha pulled back the blanket. Her legs were bruised and scraped but there were no major injuries. Her abdomen was bandaged, her mind flashed to the creatures tail slicing through her skin and she winced. Slowly Natasha unwrapped the bandages, wishing to see the wound. There were four long streaks across her, the wounds were not even half as deep as before. Her fingers traced the scar tissue at the edges of the wounds where they had started to heal, wondering if it would scar. She thought back to her older injuries realizing that none had ever scarred before. Her skin was slightly darker than Eirena's, but held the same untouched look.

The next day Kormac brought her food and Eirena gave her new bandages and applied some sort of salve to Natasha's wound. By that evening Natasha could sit up and her bruises had faded and all scraps on her arms and legs were fully healed.

Natasha pulled back the blanket and swung her legs off the bed, reaching for the pants. They were black leather with silver down the sides, black laces crossing the red. The corset ended just under her breasts, and smooth silver cloth, matching the pants, continued up, wrapping around her neck the black leather strings lacing over the open skin of her chest all the way up to her neck.

Natasha heard the door open.

"Do you like them?" Eirena said, smiling at her.

"Yes, I'm sure they will work very well. How did you meet Kormac?" Natasha said, hoping that she sounded more friendly than she felt towards this woman. It didn't take long for her to notice that Kormac was fond of her. She saw them talking often, she would laugh and he would smile, just far enough away that Natasha couldn't hear them. Natasha had felt a pang of jealousy, though she would never admit it.

"On the road out of Kurast. I have been talking to Kormac and I wish to join you and your companions, I believe I may be of further use. Your quest seems to be the same as my own."

As much as Natasha wanted to keep Eirena away from Kormac she knew that Eirena had healed her and Lyndon, and couldn't deny that her abilities would be of great use on their journey. "Yes, of course you should join us." Natasha smiled back at her, trying to convince both herself and Eirena that she wanted this.

Kormac paced outside the door, Eirena had gone in to check up on Natasha and he was impatiently awaiting her return. The door opened and Eirena slowly walked out. Eirena walked down the hall, she had found the nephalem that she was looking for, now she was certain of it.

"How is she?" He asked nervously, rubbing the scarf he held in his hands. Eirena smiled at him, "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Kormac walked in and saw Natasha standing beside the bed in the armor Eirena had bought her. He sucked in a deep breath, his eyes following her figure and back up to her eyes, she looked amazing. As amazing as she looked he was even more surprised that she was standing, she shouldn't even be able to sit up, let alone be standing by now.

"H..How are you feeling?" Natasha blinked at him.

"Better. I talked to Eirena, so she will be joining us. I was thinking we should leave at sundown and escape the heat." Natasha shifted, things between them had yet to return to their normal comfortable banter, which made her feel all the worse about how close he was becoming with Eirena.

"Natasha, I..." Kormac started, but then stopped looking down at his hands and the scarf he held in them.

"Yes?" Natasha waited expectantly.

Kormac handed her the scarf, "I just... wanted to return this to you." He wanted so much more than that. He wanted to tell her how he felt, to hold her like he had before, to press his lips against hers, but he knew that it couldn't happen.

Outside the room Eirena stood in the hall waiting for Kormac and Natasha to join her so they could be on their way. Lyndon, a few doors down, blew a kiss and slowly closed the door strutting back to his room, nearly walking into Eirena. She looked up at him, an innocent smile on her face, "I thought your room was that way" she said, pointing in the opposite direction of the room he had just exited.

"It is."

"Then what were you doing in there?" she said, pointing at the room, which happened to belong to a young maiden that he had finished seducing in record time. Lyndon smiled playfully, "Took a wrong turn. Is that a crime?" he smirked, caressing her cheek and added, "I'll willingly submit if you're the one punishing me." Lyndon winked at her and continued on his way. Eirena was still standing there blushing when Natasha and Kormac came out of the room.

"Are you ready to leave?" Natasha asked, not noticing the flush on Eirena's cheeks.

"Oh.. Y..Yes. Of course," She glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes wandering up and down Lyndon's figure, "let's go."

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><p>Natasha walked at the front of the group, not wanting to watch Kormac and Eirena talking. She had taken the lead the day before, when they left Kurast, but not for the same reason. She had wanted to get moving again, laying around at the inn had begun to make her uncomfortable, she longed to be outside... and shoot something. Now she was feeling jealous and she hated the feeling, being far enough ahead of the others she often dealt with any danger before they were close enough to help.<p>

What Natasha didn't know was that Kormac and Eirena's closeness was more akin to brother and sister, rather than anything else. She had a vast knowledge but it was all of a time before the one she found herself in now. Kormac enjoyed hearing about the history of his land.

"Were there no Templars in that time?" Kormac asked, eyes full of curiosity.

"No, but I believe there was an order similar to it, though I'm afraid I know little of your order."

They continued talking, Kormac telling her more of the order and Eirena told him about her time with the Prophet and about her sisters. Lyndon was content with bringing up the rear, though he couldn't seem to take his eyes off Eirena's.

Once they made camp, Kormac pulled out Jondar's journal, he had translated nearly three fourths of the journal. The things he read were disconcerting and disturbing to say the least, but he found a part that Jondar had written about freeing ones memories, the memories that the order had taken. Eirena sat down beside him.

"You look troubled."

Kormac sighed, "I am." He told her all that he had read, concerned that it might be true. Eirena listened patiently before saying, "Then you should find out the truth, I am certain Natasha would agree, as would I and Lyndon." Kormac looked up at Natasha and Lyndon, she was laughing at something Lyndon had said. Kormac groaned, he used to make her laugh. Now they didn't talk about anything other than their quest. _And its all your fault, you big idiot,_ he thought to himself. He disliked Lyndon and they argued nearly every time they spoke to one another, so the idea of him supporting this was hardly comforting but Kormac knew that Eirena was right when she said that Natasha would agree and she always did what was right.

"Thank you, Eirena." He looked back down at the journal, Jondar had written about 'key words' that revealed the truth of his past, beginning his distrust of the order. Kormac thought deeply about what he should do for the rest of their journey to Caldeum. He wanted to know the truth, but would stay loyal to the light no matter what he discovered.

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><p>Natasha sighed with relief, they were finally there, she walked towards Tyrael and Leah, whom she was greatly happy to see again.<p>

"Here we are: Caldeum, jewel of the east. Uncle Deckard loved this place..." Leah said, a sad look in her eyes.

Tyrael had a disgusted look on his face, "He wouldn't now that it is under the spell of Belial, Lord of Lies. I can smell his stench on the air"

Natasha stepped forward, "We'll have to separate. You two search for Belial while I track down Maghda and make her pain for Cain's death." she said, with a look of determination.

She noticed Kormac walking beside her and deliberately quickened her pace, she didn't want to speak to him. It was clear to her by now that what she thought was going to happen on that ship was merely her imagination. Kormac easily matched her pace. This continued until Kormac couldn't take it anymore, "Would you please stop running from me."

Natasha shrugged, "I'm not running."

Kormac took a deep breath, "I need to speak with you, so would you please stop acting as though I have the plague and just let me walk beside you."

Natasha didn't answer, only kept walking, this time without trying to get away. Kormac walked beside her, drawing closer before saying, "I've read Jondar's journal."

This peeked Natasha's interest, she had all but forgotten that he had Jondar's journal "And?"

"He speaks of 'key words' that could unlock my memories, of who I was, what I did before I was conscripted to the order."

Natasha stopped walking and looked up at Kormac, "but you haven't read these words?"

"No, I haven't yet."

"Yet? So you plan to?"

Kormac thought for a moment, "I am unsure, I spoke to Eirena about it," Natasha tensed, hearing her name, "and she said that I should find out the truth."

Natasha could feel her anger rising, he had spoken to Eirena first. He had only known her for a week maybe two, and knew Natasha for months, it had been half a year since they first met, yet Kormac chose to tell Eirena first.

"Well, what are you waiting for if _Eirena_ said you should then why did you even bother telling this to me?! Looks like you two have it all figured out." Natasha instantly regretted what she had said and sighed inwardly.

Kormac was startled at her hostile behavior, "Because I wanted to know what you think.. what you think is important to me, as always."

Natasha clenched her fists, "If _Eirena_ thinks you should do it, then you should. You already know that I don't think you were a sinful man as the order claims you were before, finding out the truth will be good." She turned and continued walking, not bothering to look back at the thoroughly confused Templar behind her.

Later that night Kormac opened up the journal and reread through Jondar's writings. He thought about what Natasha had said. He wanted her to be right, he wanted to be a good mad, a man worthy of her love, but if she were right, if what the order had said wasn't true then that meant that the order was corrupted. Kormac took a deep breath and read the words that Jondar had read before him.

Kormac fell back against the ground shaking, his vision went white and images, scenes from his memories flashed across his eyes. Natasha saw Kormac shaking on the ground and ran over to him, grabbing his arm and holding the back of his head to keep him from hurting himself. The moment seemed like eternity before Kormac gasped and opened his eyes.

"What happened? Are you okay? Kormac, say something!" Natasha pleaded.

Kormac took a deep breath in and looked into Natasha's beautiful deep blue eyes, "I remember."


	7. Chapter 7

**First off, I just want to say sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. After winter break and classes starting up again, I'm just tired...alllll the time, but that's no excuse so I made this chapter as a little extra something, and the next chapter will be up soon. So thanks for all the views, follows and favorites :) Continue to review please!**

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><p><strong><em>"As a farmer reaps his wheat, so must the order harvest and purify the weeds."<em>**

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><p>Kormac ran forward, laughing, as his friends trailed behind him. "You'll never catch me!" he called back to them.<p>

"Kormac!"

"Wait! Kormac!"

"Watch out!" his friend yelled to him but he was too far ahead to hear them. Kormac look back towards where he was running and fell down the hill rolling down and landing in a heap at the edge of a river. Kormac stood brushing himself off and looked up to see a woman bathing in the river. She gasped, startled by him but wasn't too alarmed because he was a small child. "Hello."

"I..I I'm terribly sorry." Kormac turned crimson and turned around in a rush, scrambling back up the hill.

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><p>Kormac picked up the sword, "Whoa" he said in wonder. He clumsily swung it around.<p>

"Hey, watch where you swing that little man" his father said, stepping backwards.

Kormac smiled sheepishly, "Sorry." He lowered the sword and his father tousled his hair, "It's alright. You'll get the hang of it." Kormac raised his head to look at his father with a wide grin on his face, "You'll teach me?"

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><p>Kormac stood with his weapon in hand, griping it tightly. He took a slow breath and stepped towards the man. He swung and Kormac blocked. Time seemed to slow as they fought. Kormac dodged swings and danced around his opponent. He lunged forward, clashing blades and tripped the man. He fell and Kormac kicked his sword away. Kormac smiled, "I win."<p>

"That you did, my son. That you did." Kormac's father smiled with pride. "You will do wonderfully at the tournament. If you fight like that, you're sure to win." Kormac had been preparing for the annual tournament with his father for months, he was finally ready. What Kormac's father didn't know was that Kormac wasn't doing this just to win, but to impress a girl.

The day of the tourney came and Kormac did well just as his father said he would. He finished his last match and wiped the sweat of his brow, it was a hot summer's day but he didn't care, his mind was focuse on one thing and one thing only. Her name was Kathrine. When he saw her walking towards him, his heart leapt in his chest.

"You did it!" she smiled at him and leaned forward kissing him. Kormac was motionless at first but it didn't take long before he was clumsily responding to her kiss.

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><p>"I'll miss you." she said, hugging him tightly. He tried to smile, "It won't be long. I'll be home within a year."<p>

"Promise?" she asked, tears filling her eyes.

"I promise." They kissed and he turned away, leaving her there. He was joining the ranks of the Westmarch soldiers as they went off to battle.

. . .

Kormac sat around the fire, hands shaking. He had _killed_ a man, and not just one. He wondered if they had a family, someone waiting for them, as Kathrine was waiting for him. A fellow soldier sat beside him, "It will pass."

"What?"

"The shaking, it will pass. Better now then during the battle." Kormac nodded numbly.

The months passed and the cold weather and bad food were taking their toll, Kormac missed his home. He missed Kathrine. It had been just over two years. He sighed to himself, he promised it wouldn't even take one.

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><p>Kormac smiled he could see Westmarch, it had been two and a half years since he left. He was looking forward to seeing Kathrine again.<p>

He walked up to her door and knocked confidently, but the woman who opened the door was not the same one who he had left two years ago. She had gained weight and her eyes were weary, and clothes were dull. She held a young child in her arms and a man whom he had known as a friend stood further inside the house. Kormac stood speechless.

"Kormac?" she asked. He nodded.

"Oh goodness, Kormac, I'm sorry. It was just so long. You said it wouldn't take a year, its been more than two." Kormac took a step back and walked away.

"Kormac? Kormac!" She called after him. He just kept walking.

Hours later he found himself at a tavern with a drink in hand. It tasted terrible but the more he drank the less he cared of the taste.

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><p><em>"We hereby conscript you into the Order of the Templars" <em>Such seemingly harmless words, but they were only the beginning.

Kormac struggled against them, to no avail. He was surrounded by them, these _Inquisitors_. Kormac spit the blood from his mouth as they came back at him, beating him until he could no longer lift himself from the ground. He was barely conscious when they carried him away, his feet sliding on the ground.

Kormac awoke chained to a wall. He looked around, he was locked in a room with stone walls and one door. He pulled against the chains, looking for some weakness. He found none. The hours passed by and no one enter the room. Soon the ache in his wrists faded, becoming overpowered by the ache of his stomach and throat.

By the second day the only thing wetting his lips was his blood. He was beaten and starved for three days before he started to loose track of time. It seemed every time they left the room someone else would replace them. He hung, exhausted, from the chains. His was face bruised beyond recognition. It felt like years had passed and he was hungry and delirious.

Kormac tried to lift his head when he heard the door creak open. There was only one man this time. Kormac nearly whimpered when he saw the whip in the man's hand. He was chained with his face to the cold stone wall, it felt nice against his swollen face. Until the first lash, he cringed holding in a cry of pain. After the first few lashes he could no longer hold it in, and once they past the first twenty lashes he struggled to maintain consciousness.

Whenever Kormac would regain consciousness they would begin again, whipping away his sins, or so they say. When they had finished Kormac could no longer remember his past life, the only thing he knew was the order. He was taken from the dungeon to another room with other conscripts. They were given a warm meal and matching armor.

The next months were spent training. Kormac grew close with one other Templar, Jondar, they would practice together and eat their meals together. It did not take long before they were friends. They would travel with one another for many months, it was nearly a year after that they were sent to Tristram.

What awaited Kormac was something he never could have imagined. A betrayal, a friend, a life, and Love.

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><p><strong>AN" Hope you enjoyed it, I wasn't originally planning on writing any of that but there it is. I tried to include any moment I thought would be really important in his life, without making it a long and boring chapter about every little thing he's done. **


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